August 3, 2021, by indybamra1
How To Find a Job That’s Right for You
By, Hayley Williams, Students’ Union Employability Development Manager
Picking the right career can seem like a daunting task at times. It can be difficult to navigate the many options but don’t worry we are here to help. Here are our four top tips for finding the right job for you.
1. Start by focussing on yourself
Before you can properly understand whether a job or industry will be a good fit for you it is important to understand yourself. Are there any particular values you hold as important? What strengths and weaknesses do you have? What do you enjoy doing? Typically a job maximises things that you are good at and enjoy whilst minimising the things that you dislike and don’t enjoy. No job is perfect and it will always be a balance but you want to find something that is right for you. It is also worth considering what you want from a career? Try listing out what you would like and then ranking them by priority.
For some people, these kinds of questions are relatively easy, for others they are hard. Even if they seem easy it is an important step so don’t skip it as this is the step that creates the road map you can use to navigate the job market. If you do struggle with this stage consider booking an appointment with the Careers and Employability Team. We can guide you through this.
2. Research, research, research
Once you have a good understanding of yourself it is time to look at what is available from a career perspective. It is important to note that this research stage ideally isn’t something to leave to the last minute, it is an ongoing process. Be curious, engage in the subject matter, and learn as much as you can about the different industries or career paths that are related to your course or your chosen direction. Check industry press, read the news, go to careers events, seek an understanding of what various industries do, how organisations in that space operate, what their goals are, and the sort of roles they need to fill to be successful. This stage needs to be driven by you, it is your career after all and you need to take ownership of it. That said if you need help deciding between different routes we can definitely support you with that!
3. Network
Networking can appear daunting – we get that, but it’s also an incredibly important skill that you as students can deploy to help with your career-making decisions. Once you’ve identified potential routes of interest it’s time to start speaking to people who work in those sectors to get a real insight into what the day-to-day experience is of working in a particular sector or role. We would recommend starting with careers events, careers fairs, and LinkedIn as a good way to connect with people. Ask them questions such as, ‘what does your day look like?’, ‘what sort of skills do you need to be successful in your role?’ and ‘what do you enjoy most about your job?’ It is amazing how much information people are willing to share if you approach them in a professional and friendly manner. You can then compare their answers to the criteria you created in step one. Similar to research, networking should be an ongoing process. If you aimed to reach out to five people a week during your studies, you’d soon build up a large network and you will be on your way to being a very informed job seeker.
4. Talk to us
As a service, we’re here to help and can support you throughout all stages of the job-hunting process. Remember that you can book an appointment here and start the process of building your career.
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